The Lone Star Motorcycle Museum, Vanderpool, Texas

By Scott Potter
Published on July 18, 2007
1 / 2
Vintage iron on display at the Lone Star Motorcycle Museum in Vanderpool, Texas: 1938 Indian Collegiate Four.
Vintage iron on display at the Lone Star Motorcycle Museum in Vanderpool, Texas: 1938 Indian Collegiate Four.
2 / 2
This 1935 500cc Norton ES2 on display at the Lone Star Motorcycle Museum in Vanderpool, Texas, is one of many Nortons on hand.
This 1935 500cc Norton ES2 on display at the Lone Star Motorcycle Museum in Vanderpool, Texas, is one of many Nortons on hand.

Lone Star Motorcycle Museum in Vanderpool, Texas

Where: 36517 Hwy 187N in Vanderpool, Texas. From San Antonio take Hwy 16 North through Bandera to Medina. Go West on FM (Farm to Market) 337 to FM 187. Go North three miles and look on the left for the Lone Star Motorcycle Museum. (830) 966-6103
When: The Museum is open Friday through Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., and the Ace Café Friday through Sunday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.- Adults: $5.00/Children under 12 free- Family: $10.00- Seniors 65 and over: $4.00- Groups 10 and over: $4.00/person- Lifetime Admission: $20.00
Why: Cool bikes, awesome roads and great food.
Scenic Routes: From the Museum take 187 South to Leaky, follow FM 336 North to Hwy 41 West to FM 335 South. Then Hwy 55 South to FM 337 East back to 187.
Best Kept Secrets: Nearby Hwy 336 and Hwy 337. Both are heaven on two wheels.
Avoid: Conflicting dates with vintage racing at Barber or Mid-Ohio — Johncock is off racing.

Folks in Texas know the Hill Country has the best riding roads in the state. And in the western reaches nestled in the rolling hills near Lost Maples State Park — the “Swiss Alps of Texas” — is a gem of a motorcycle collection. Housed at the Lone Star Motorcycle Museum in Vanderpool, a town so small it isn’t on many maps, the museum is a pearl of Texas.

Operated by expat Aussie Alan Johncock, the museum contains all manner of delectable vintage motorcycles. Of the 50-some bikes on hand, most are of English origin, with a smattering of other Euro and Japanese machines and some early American iron.

The museum basically started by accident, the result of 20 years of collecting classic bikes. Before moving to Vanderpool Johncock lived in Houston, where he started his collection.

But once he moved to the Hill Country, the museum seemed like a natural direction to run. “We started building in 1999 and finished in 2003,” Johncock says. “We didn’t have a master plan, we just opened it.”

Comments (0) Join others in the discussion!
    Online Store Logo
    Need Help? Call 1-800-880-7567